FAQs ~ Frequently Asked Questions

  • Using old world soap chemistry (saponifying oils with heat and potash/lye) lets me use the whole plant oil with all its glory—micro nutrients, waxes, vitamin E, carotene retained. The whole plant oil is better than the refined parts of the plant where just a clear, stripped down part of the plant oil is left.

    Most commercial detergents for human, dog, horse are made from refined parts of the coconut oil molecule—cocobetaine, cocamidopropyl betaine, decyl glucoside. Maybe the shampoo or hand wash has sodium lauryl sulfoacetate. Not saying these are bad ingredients—research them .

    However, I choose to use as many unrefined oils as possible. For example, Oliver Farm does not grow cocobetaine, but Clay does grow and cold press his glorious, nutrient-rich sunflower seeds. And I like buying it to help him keep farming.

  • I want one soap recipe that packs a fierce clean and does not leave my skin dry and tight. I have a BIG tribe on my little WARHORSE farm—grandchildren, house, barn, dogs, chickens, goats (and all the dirty stuff to take care of them), commercial kitchen, trucks, etc.

    My soap recipe strikes a balance of a fierce clean with a soft side. Here’s how I do it:

    Coconut oil lauric acid fights the grime. But lots of lauric acid dries the skin.

    So I balance the recipe with glycerin, sunflower, castor, flaxseed and pumpkin seed oils that guard the skin from all the coconut oil.

    1. coconut oil has an abundance of LAURIC ACID, about 50%.

      This gives WARHORSE Rapid Cleansing Action

      When I cook (saponify) the oil with a lye, some of the coconut oil converts to monolaurin during saponification → supercharged cleaning soap.

      - Monolaurin is 10–100x more effective at washing off germs than lauric acid, provides a fast lather, cuts, grease, and washes off odors.

    2. Glycerin. Every cell in your body (and your dog’s, and your horse’s) has a glycerin backbone to stay plump, flexible, and protected. All my plant oils have glycerin, but I add lots of extra. Research how glycerin in used for skin applications.

    3. Extra virgin, cold pressed sunflower oil. This high-oleic ingredient is super charged with carotene and micro ingredients that provide the gentle care of WARHORSE. I get it from Oliver Farm in Pitts, GA.

    4. Castor oil is loaded with RICINOLEIC ACID. This 90% powerhouse adds velvety care to the fierce clean. Castor oil has been historically useful for human, hound and horse applications.

    5. Extra virgin flaxseed and pumpkin seed oils supercharge the soap recipe with even more gentle care. These ingredients are well-known for humans, hounds and horses too.

  • Your Kettle Number Matters

    See that handwritten number on your bottle? Kettle #___.

    That's your batch number. Here's what it means:

    ✓ 55-gallon batch - Actual small-scale production
    ✓ Hand-numbered - I write it on every bottle
    ✓ Fully traceable - I can tell you which oils, what day, any notes
    ✓ Accountable - Questions about your batch? I have records
    ✓ Quality control - Every kettle tracked from fire to bottle

  • Absolutely. It’s the only way I have set up to heat and saponify the oils. I could be less primitive and buy a pre-made soap base from the big soap company, but what’s the challenge in that?

    I must be outside if possible.

    And a fire just stirs my soul—my hunter gatherer ancestors are in my bones.

    Plus, I can stir the kettle and keep and eye out for the hawks and foxes that try to snatch up my lovely laying hens.

  • I have made bar soap.

    But I can’t wash my chicken’s dirty behind with a bar of soap. I can’t wash a Charleston rental house with a bar of soap, and it’s tough to use a bar on the boat, kitchen, goats’ feed buckets, tub, barn mats, etc.

    For 20 years, I have made a liquid soap that pivots and travels with me to clean my wonderful, dirty tribe.

    And a sturdy bottle of WARHORSE can roll around in my husband’s work truck and knock against the generator and plywood without breaking, or get trampled and chewed on in the goat barn, or bounce around the boat while looking for big tuna.

    You understand I am sure.

  • Castile soaps with extra virgin oils and essential plant oils turn cloudy or white in cold temperatures because unsaturated fats and natural waxes crystallize in cooler temps.

    • Vitamin E (tocopherols) and waxes solidify first, forming tiny particles.

    • Every harvest of sunflower might have a little more or less of wax and change color differently from one batch to the next. All good.

  • Yes, it is the same core recipe, except for essential oil blend options.

    Since some of us don’t always wear gloves when we wash the dog, the horse, the tub, the boat, the dishes, I have made a recipe with specifically chosen ingredients that work for human, hound, home, horse, barn, farm. The only difference between products is the essential oil blend/scents.

    You should research the ingredients and essential oils to see if you like or want them on your skin or pet’s skin. A human, a dog, or a horse can be allergic to about anything, natural or not.

  • I have different labels because dog stores don’t want to put a Clean Anything on shelves.

    Many people get confused or don’t believe that one soap can do it all. And retail stores have specific locations and shelves for specific types of products. So there’s a label for the dog stores or the equestrian store. Plus, I don’t recommend some of the essential oil blends for dogs and horses, so they just have several scent options. I make my own labels, so I can easily print which one I need for the order. Many customers do just get the Clean Anything soap in Lemon Lavender or Unscented and use it for 1 or 100 cleaning jobs.

  • Unscented and Lemon Lavender

    First and foremost, I wholeheartedly recommend UNSCENTED because dogs have such keen smell ability, they would prefer UNSCENTED. And any mammal can be sensitive to any ingredient.

    Unscented castile soap is ideal for washing dogs because:

    • Respects canine olfaction: Dogs have up to 300 million scent receptors (vs. 6 million in humans), making strong fragrances overwhelming and stressful. Unscented castile avoids masking or irritating this acute sense.

    • Gentle, non-irritating: Plant-based, fragrance-free formula cleans without stripping natural oils or causing dermatitis, especially in sensitive breeds.

    • You might like a lingering scent. but the dog won’t. Unscented leaves zero scent, so dogs don’t feel compelled to roll in dirt/grass to restore their natural smell—common after scented shampoos.

    • Biodegradable & safe: Rinses cleanly, reducing risk if the dog licks it coat. And unscented reduces environmental impact as even natural essential oils can affect aquatic life (lakes, creeks, river).

    I have been making the Dog Wash Lemon Lavender for 20 years. It contains Lemon, Lemongrass, and Lavender Essential Oils. The essential oils are less than 1% (.75% actually) of the recipe. The scent is not very strong and much of it will wash off with a thorough rinse. WARHORSE has washed MANY thousands of dogs and the same dog MANY times, and I have never had a call or alert from a veterinarian or groomer or family about issues with the essential oils. Groomers, veterinarians, and families have been very happy with this essential oil blend. But you decide for your dog and horse.

    People often tell me that they think the lavender repels fleas. I have no evidence of this.   

    There are studies that show lavender oil scent can calm dogs and horses, and people. I doubt there’s enough lavender oil in the soap to have this effect. Interestingly, the US Equestrian Federation has banned lavender oil for horses during their competitions as it is touted to have a calming effect.

    I don’t recommend the eucalyptus-spearmint or the cinnamon-orange-clove for dogs. The rose geranium is a very mild scent and I offer it for horses, with the horse label.

  • First, all liquid soap is diluted the same way—you decide how much soap and how much water for the cleaning job.

    For general surface cleaning like tubs, countertops, walls, 1 oz to a 32 oz / a quart of water is a good place to start. Adjust with more or less soap as needed.

    I advise to only dilute the amount you will use within a month or for completing a big cleaning job in a short time.

    Adding water and storage temperature can affect the shelf life of any diluted soap so use the diluted soap within a month or so.

    I offer some dilution tips, but as you know, there’s different types and levels of dirt and grime. Someone might clean the tub after every use—maybe 1 Tablespoon in a quart sprayer is plenty. Or maybe if you’re like me, I use a 1 gallon sprayer with 3 oz of WARHORSE and spray the shower about 1 time per week, leave it for a while, or a day, then wash and rinse. Your kitchen countertops might be layered with sticky grime or you’re just cleaning clean. So adjust as desired.

  • Nope, you can wash your hands, body straight out of the bottle, but a little does a lot. Then you will be “diluting” the soap as you add water to your skin.

    Caution: All true soap will sting eyes, so I would use water or wipe your face avoiding eyes.

    For dogs and horses, they don’t know to keep their eyes closed, I recommend just water and a cloth to clean faces and ears.

    If your hands are greasy from changing the oil in the tractor, well, might need a full strength dose. If you have grandchildren, you might want to dilute it in a foaming soap bottle—usually a 1 oz soap to 7 oz water ratio. My grandchildren seem to over use it so I have a foamer for them.

  • Depending on your end goal, you may want to condition long hair.

    Diluted apple cider vinegar and water (1 part vinegar to 8 part water) works well for a conditioner. Just don’t get it in eyes as it will sting. Be sure to rinse.

  • WARHORSE works in large pressure washers that have a solution compartment and is mixed in with the water during application.

    It works in 1 gallon sprayers and small bottles as well.

    TIP: I would make a small test batch with WARHORSE and water, apply and test to see how much soap you need to get the job done. Using less soap is always better—why waste it?

    Then when you find the sweet spot, make a batch. Then Spray and Walk Away and let WARHORSE have some dwell time. Or you can wipe down immediately too. You decide when, where, and how to use it. It’s just soap.

  • The process of making soap from fats and lye (potassium hydroxide) is called saponification. During this chemical reaction, the triglycerides in the vegetable oils break down and rearrange to form soap molecules and glycerin. When the saponification process is complete, no lye remains in the final product. 

    Here’s a VIDEO chemistry lesson‍ ‍if you want to dive deeper.